Strange and Welcome Changes
by ghostwriterintraining
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts to finish his seventh year. While there he sees Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin Ice Prince has returned and he's, well not so icey. Perhaps Draco isn't so bad after all. HP/DM


Author's Note: since almost all of my favorite Harry Potter characters were killed off I decided to ignore there deaths for the sake of this Fanfic. So I don't surprise you too much here's a list of who's still alive and who's dead. Fred (Alive) Snape (Alive) Dumbledore (Alive) Colin (Dead) Dobby (Dead) Crabbe (Dead) Remus (Alive) Sirius (Alive) and most of the others are still dead. Sorry. Tiny bit of Ginny bashing.

Summery: Harry and friends go back to Hogwarts after the war. When they get back Harry doesn't expect to see Draco Malfoy also attending. The two get paired up for a potion's assignment and Harry is shocked to find Draco a changed man. Maybe Draco isn't so bad after all.

Chapter One: The assignment.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat waiting for Snape their potions teacher. Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes when he looked at his two friends. They sat holding hands shooting each other silly looks and giggles. Slightly put off by his friends lovey dovey behavior he looked around the classroom. He saw familiar faces but he couldn't help but notice with a heavy heart that their class was much smaller than it had been. Those who had survived the war and come back to finish seemed different, quieter or more withdrawn. He though briefly about how many times his friends had almost died at the hands of a death eater or even Voldemort himself. He though about George who was unbelievably lucky seeing as he only lost an ear and Fred who had only recently been released from St. Mungo's. Harry had always though he hated Snape but after seeing the man so close to death he realized that he though of the man as a friend.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the room went silent. Thinking Snape had finally arrived he turned to look at the door. But it wasn't Snape that came striding through the door, robes billowing making him look like a bat. It was someone Harry had never though he'd ever see again. Draco Malfoy stopped for only a moment before he continued in and took his regular seat. He sat and pulled his books out of his bag, flipping through them. His calm expression didn't change as whispers started to fly around the room. Harry turned towards his friends to see his own expression mirrored on their faces. The Slytherin Ice Prince had returned.

"What's that rat doing here?" Ron whispered. "Why isn't he in America or something?" Recently there had been a story about the Malfoy's moving to America. It seemed that the youngest Malfoy had not been with them. But before the trio could discus the recent turn of events any further Snape really did come in. The class went silent for the second tie as Snape took his place at the front of the classroom. Every pair of eyes were on Snape as he began explaining the potion they would be doing… well almost all eyes.

A pair of emerald green eyes were focused on a certain blonde. Harry found he couldn't tear his eyes away. Malfoy was so different now. His sharp features seemed softer and his cold grey eyes didn't seem so cold. Platinum blonde hair that had been slicked back now was loose, framing his handsome face. His lips weren't curved in their usual sneer but were in a simple line showing that he was thinking. Harry paused he realized to his horror that he had just described Malfoy as handsome. He shook his head and tried to focus on what Snape was saying but he found his eyes drifting back towards Malfoy. It just seemed too unreal. Malfoy looked like a completely different person. He almost seemed nice?

"Potter!" Snape shouted knock Harry out of his out of haze. "Ten points from Gryffindor," well at least Snape was still the same. He waited for Malfoy to snicker or make some kind of rude remark. But the room was silent. Malfoy continued to scribble away at his notes, looking like the perfect student. "Now, partner up," Snape continued. Harry turned towards Ron out of habit and was shocked when Snape stopped him. "Potter you will be partnered with Mr. Malfoy." The class went silent and Harry noticed that Malfoy looked at Snape with an odd almost quizzical expression. This would certainly be the worst potion's class ever. Harry picked up his bags and moved seats to sit next to Malfoy.

"Potter," Malfoy said without even looking up from his notes. He grabbed the supplies that Snape had put in front of him. "Thank you Professor," he said politely. Malfoy set to work chopping; as he worked he began to speak stopping occasionally to look Harry in the eye. "Potter I propose a truce. For seven years we've exchanged insults and hexes and I think its time we stopped." Harry stared at Malfoy in a stunned silence. He could feel the anger boiling in the pit of his stomach.

"Haha Malfoy. Stop kidding me what kind of ridiculous prank is this," he hissed. Malfoy cleaned the knife and calmly looked Harry in the eyes. Something had changed in the storm grey eyes. They looked calmer, like they had less of the raging torrent in them.

"I assure you Potter," he said his voice becoming grave, "this is no joke. I am completely serious. I think its time that we reintroduce ourselves Potter. I'll start. Hello my name is Draco Malfoy, pleased to meet you," he extended his hand just like he had so many years ago. But now Harry felt differently. Perhaps if this Malfoy was the one he had met all those years ago things would have been different. Harry tried to shake these thoughts out of his head. Malfoy was his enemy.

"Malfoy cut it ou-"

"I'm sorry do I know you," he said the words jovially but there was something in his voice the made Harry change his mind about the offer. He warily stuck his hand out and they shook.

"Harry Potter," he said cautiously. Malfoy smiled and Harry was blown away. He had never seen Malfoy smile before. It was to say the least dazzling. That one smile transformed his face, he practically glowed. His sharp features softened and his grey eyes lit up.

"Oh so you're the Boy Who Lived?" There it was Harry had known Malfoy was up to something. He waited for him to crack a joke or make a rude comment. "That's pretty funny. I guess if people, Voldemort and his followers in particular had a name for me it'd be something like the Boy Who Squealed or the Boy That Snitched," Malfoy smiled again and began stirring. For a moment Harry just felt shocked. Malfoy was nice? What had happened?

"Why?" he demanded sharply. Malfoy continued stirring but as he spoke there was an odd far away look in his eyes.

"Well Potter, they say that time dulls all feelings," He said wistfully and then added and afterthought, "although were love is concerned I'm not sure that rule applies." As a silence settled in between the two men some of the other students took notice that there were no sounds coming from where Harry and Malfoy were. Nothing, not a single remark. And suddenly almost all the students in the room began to wonder if there would finally be peace at Hogwarts after all.

* * *

After potions had ended Harry was bombarded with questions. Ron had rushed out of the classroom hot on Harry's heels. Hermione had stayed behind to question Snape on something about the potion.

"What did that rat face do to you? What'd he say?" Ron pestered. And oddly Harry felt slightly angry when Ron called Malfoy a rat face. Harry turned on his friend.

"Don't call him that. Anyways he proposed a truce. Actually _Ron _I'll have you know that he was quite pleasant," he ignored the fact that Ron squeaked and stopped. Right now Harry just wanted to be alone. He had some unusual feelings he wanted to deal with. Like the strange ill feeling in the pit of his stomach.

But apparently not everyone had the same thoughts he had. Neville came running up to him. He had a silly look on his face.

"Hi Harry! You'll never guess what happened! Well Luna and I-"

"Look Neville can you just go away!" Harry shouted he immediately felt remorseful as Neville's face darkened. He turned and ran down the hallway leaving Harry shouting after him.

* * *

Neville - upset that his friend had blown him off like he was dirt - wasn't really paying attention to where he was running. So that's why when he promptly turned the corner and ran straight into someone. He stumbled backwards and fell shocked by how much whoever he had bumped into felt like a brick wall. As the stars faded Neville saw his worst nightmares coming true all at once. There stood Draco Malfoy towering over him looking like nothing more than the angel of death. The open window sent a breeze in that blew Malfoy's robes in all directions. His face looked cold and expressionless, the light accentuating all his sharp features. His almost white hair whipped around his face and his storm grey eyes looked dark. And then Neville waited for things to go exactly as they had in his nightmares. Malfoy would turn and cackle evilly before his minions would come out of the shadows and rip him to pieces.

Draco watched as Neville closed his eyes and threw his arms over his head to protect himself. Perhaps a few years ago this would have pleased him. But now seeing it made him feel empty and upset. He felt sad that what he had been in the past was enough to make an eighteen year old boy tremble in fear.

Slowly so as not to scare the boy he knelt. "Longbottom?" he said softly, "are you okay you took a pretty bad tumble." Neville slowly put his arms down and looked Malfoy in the eyes. And suddenly when he saw the worried features and looked in those sad grey eyes Draco Malfoy didn't seem so scary. Neville nodded dumbly surprised at this revelation and even more so when Draco flashed him a lopsided grin. He helped the boy into a standing position and dusted him off. As he did so he chatted with the other boy. "So, you certainly seemed a little preoccupied. Is it Snape?" Neville shook his head sadly, remembering why he had been running. Draco stood and Neville realized that the other boy did indeed tower over him still. "What happened?" Neville couldn't help not feeling eager to spill his worries to the boy who had tormented him for seven years. When Draco saw this his heart sank a bit, but he realized that he'd have a lot to make up for. "Longbottom, I know I've been a real prick so I completely understand you not wanting to tell me, but I want you to know I'm different now," with that he turned and began to walk away. Neville felt something akin to friendship but he squashed down the feeling. But he did speak for the first time as he ran after the boy about to do something he never though he would.

"Malfoy! Perhaps I wouldn't mind talking after all!" Draco stopped and smiled as he turned he put more of a professional look on his face. But the smile was still there and you'd be blind not to see it.

Maybe people could forgive.

* * *

Okay more to come soon :)

In the next chapter Draco confronts Harry about something important (not about his undying love but that may come later ;) )


End file.
